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I used to experience the occasional horrible events of terrorism and gun violence without a strong personal reaction of fear. After September 11, 2001, I was greatly saddened, I was worried about the potential for war, and I had some immediate concern about whether or not Houston, where I was living, would be a target if there were still attacks to come. I felt concern for the Muslim community in Houston where I was living and in my hometown area of Detroit. But I didn't hesitate to fly on a plane when the opportunity next arose. I responded by hosting events on Islam at our church. I didn't experience fear at a visceral level, just sadness, as I recall. I didn't experience fear after the Oklahoma City bombing, either. With school shootings, I didn't experience fear after Columbine or Virginia Tech or any of the school shootings in between.

After Sandy Hook, I heard a lot of people talking about fear, and a lot of people talking about how this doesn't incre…

An article this week from Tiffany K. Wayne, titled Same-Sex Marriage Does Threaten "Traditional Marriage" does an excellent job at pointing out just exactly what is threatened by same-sex marriage: traditional gender roles. Wayne writes:
Same-sex marriage makes a lie of the very foundation of traditional
gender roles. Same-sex marriages say that a woman can run a household,
or that a man can raise a child. This does not square with those whose
lives and beliefs and relationships depend on upholding and living their
lives based on differences between the sexes.
Wayne is right on in her analysis. This is absolutely about equality. It is absolutely also about feminism and gender roles. The fight against same-sex marriage is inherently linked to the fights against women's reproductive freedom.

Wayne doesn't get into religion in her article, which is a shame, because I think it would further her argument. If one looks to the Bible for what marriage is about, a…

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Landrum is a Unitarian Universalist minister, artist, writer, parent, and justice advocate. The opinions expressed here are solely her own, and do not represent the views of the church or any other organization she serves.